


Words on a blank page

by Oo_Keira_oO



Category: American Horror Story, American Horror Story: Apocalypse
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:54:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28903710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oo_Keira_oO/pseuds/Oo_Keira_oO
Summary: "There are darknesses in life and there are lights, and you are one of the lights, the light of all lights."― Bram Stoker, DraculaWhen they met, Ellen Moore and Michael Langdon had no idea how much they had in common.Michael Langdon x fem!ocA.N. The surname "Moore" has nothing to do with John Henry, it just sounded good   :)
Relationships: Michael Langdon & Original Female Character(s), Michael Langdon & Reader, Michael Langdon & You, Michael Langdon/Original Character(s), Michael Langdon/Original Female Character(s), Michael Langdon/Reader, Michael Langdon/You
Comments: 34
Kudos: 12





	1. 0. Oh, no!

Three minutes.

What do three minutes mean in comparison to a whole eternity? Centuries, millennia even. How could they possibly be affected by a so insignificant action, a three-minute delay?

And yet, in a life such as the human one, which only lasts a handful of decades, three minutes can be crucial.

The time a song lasts, that is what three minutes are, a song from a long-forgotten playlist, that a girl had decided to listen to while walking the dog. The girl hadn't listened to it in a while, so she decided to walk a few more minutes, pace a few more minutes, turn one last corner.

And nothing happened.

What? Did you expect something to happen? You'll have to wait a bit more for that.

Where were we? Oh, right...

She turned one last corner before whistling at the dog as a command to go back home.

As she approached the private driveway, the girl saw the strangest orange-toned car parked. As soon as the driver recognized her, he started the engine and honked loudly enough to wake even the most stubborn sleepers.

"You're late" he leaned out of the window pointing to an imaginary watch on his wrist "Hurry up or I'll leave you here".

The girl snorted to herself taking the house keys from her pocket "Fortunately you love me too much to"

"My love for you won't avoid us traffic"

The blonde rolled her eyes entering the house; she freed the dog, picked up the backpack left at the entrance and shouting a general goodbye to her family, she left the house once again, closing the door behind her.

%%%%

"Today I rediscovered a song I used to listen to a lot, the year we met"

"So... It's a lucky one" He chuckled "What song?"

When Ellen Moore first met Hector Foster, she thought the name was extremely inappropriate; "Hector" seemed a name too boring, heavy, for a funny, light-hearted guy – such a perfect companion for her carefree spirit.

They were both freshmen at the local university, but their story goes way back – they were high school sweet-hearts. And as Hector liked to say it, Ellen was the Veronica Lodge to his Archie Andrews - Ellen didn't like the comparison, mostly because she couldn't understand her boyfriend's obsession with Riverdale.

"It's one by Marina and the Diamonds" She answered taking the phone from her pocket "I'll connect the phone so you can appreciate it" said sarcastically.

Hector snorted as he lowered his sunglasses to get a better look at the girl; her excited expression, the way her face lit up when she talked about something she enjoyed, were his greatest weakness. He shook his head and brought his eyes back to the road "I swear, if it's another one of those songs that rebellious little girl in a teenage crisis listen to, I'll stop the car and you'll walk your way to the classroom."

She frowned and gave him a slap on the arm "My music is not _that_ bad".

The song started and it took Hector not more than ten seconds of "Oh, no!" to decide he had have enough "Ok, stop abusing my car with this crap" he reached for the radio to turn it off but the girl slapped his hand "Your _pumpkin_ should be honored to be able to receive this diamond" and for a moment she seemed to refer to her whole person and not just the song. Hector didn't care, offended by the gesture, he reached out to give her a pinch, but she kept moving, he had to turn around to center her arm.

It only took a moment.

She saw it out the corner of her eye.

"Hector th-"

She didn't manage to finish the sentence.

Hector wasn't even able see what hit them.

The impact with the SUV was terrible.

And then everything went black. 


	2. Part 1. 1

The first thing he felt was the sensation of wetness.

Water on his mouth felt like the best feeling he had ever experienced.

Where did it come from?

Was it rain? No, he wasn't feeling the magical, fresh sensation anywhere else on his body.

Before he could understand what was happening, darkness took him.

%%%%%

He felt the wet again.

This time on his fingertips. It was a different feeling from last time. There was something else, something rough.

Slowly he opened his eyes, and it was as if his senses were activated altogether.

He was in a bed. But most importantly, he was indoors.

He looked down and discovered the origin of that strange slimy sensation: a dog was licking his hand. Michael withdrew it instantly, slightly disgusted. The big, gray-haired dog didn't seem to like it and snarled at him before starting to bark. Michael had never heard anything so annoying. He thought of breaking his neck but before he could do anything, someone opened the door and a girl appeared, with long golden hair framing her face.

"Lotus, leave him alone" She ordered before looking up at him "oh, you are awake".

The dog obeyed, moving closer to his mistress.

Michael sat up and the exact moment he lifted his head from the pillow he felt the whole world spin.

"Easy there, you look like someone with a hell of a hangover" The girl said approaching the bedside table that the boy hadn't even noticed "I don't know what kind of party you had but your friends were real assholes to leave you in that state alone." She poured him a glass of water before handing it to him.

Michael took it hesitantly and watched her sit on an armchair on the other side of the room. The girl crossed her arms and legs, watching him carefully. Though the thought that the water might have been poisoned unnerved him, the thirst was strong enough to make Michael drink greedily.

The stranger looked pleased.

"What happened?" He asked.

"You should tell me that" She sighed "he found you in the woods" explained stroking the dog sitting next to her "you were passed out and dehydrated, you looked awful. Plus you are terribly heavy, I don't know what miracle allowed me to carry you all the way here" she pointed to the bed.

Michael stifled a sarcastic laugh at the word.

"You slept for about eighteen hours" She concluded before looking at the young man again. She seemed to be waiting for something but Michael had no idea what that was.

"Care to introduce yourself?" The stranger asked after a few silent seconds.

Michael, suddenly feeling very awake, threw his legs out of bed and sat up "My name is Michael Langdon".

She seemed satisfied but did not return the courtesy by introducing herself.

"Can I ask you something?"

She made a gesture that seemed to mean _go on_

"Are you a witch?"

Even the dog seemed to tilt his head in confusion, imitating his owner.

"Did you take a pill?"

This time Michael was the one confounded by the question.

The girl sighed, she had never used drugs, but she had seen her friends do it and the effects were really bizarre. In any case they would have passed quickly, otherwise, she would have taken him to the hospital.

"Here are some clothes, they are my father's but they should be fine" She said approaching the table near the door "there is the bathroom, I recommend you use it since you look horrible. When done, you’ll find me at the end of the corridor".

And without another word the blonde went out with her faithful companion, leaving Michael alone and in total confusion.


	3. Part 1. 2

Michael ran a hand on the fogged bathroom mirror to observe his reflection: a light beard, almost invisible to any external eye, had grown on his chin and he looked almost skinny – certainly he was hungry.

How much time had he spent in nothingness invoking his father? And what had he gained from it? Nothing. He hadn't shown up, he hadn't given him answers or directions.

Plus Mrs Mead had been murdered, leaving him alone.

Michael grabbed the clothes he had worn before: as well as being dirty and smelly they were destroyed. He threw them away and grabbed the ones the nameless girl had prepared for him.

Down the corridor, a dog lying on the kitchen floor stood guard, while the blonde-haired girl tried not to burn the bacon she was cooking. She was no longer used to having many people around, or people at all; she felt more comfortable in solitude, with the sweet Lotus protecting her. The dog's growl warned her that someone was approaching but she didn't have to take her eyes off the food to figure out who it was, also because they were the only ones in the house.

"Do you like bacon and eggs? I’m no cook but so far I haven't died of hunger… nor poisoned” she shrugged turning the eggs.

Michael leaned against the opposite side of the kitchen with his back against the wall "Su-sure" tried to silence his rumbling stomach "I didn't ask your name"

The girl turned to look at him and gave him an immense smile that seemed to light up the whole room "No, you didn't" she said turning back to the stove.

Michael decided that the name of the unknown woman didn’t matter; rather a notebook drew his attention, forgotten open on the table, with a pen placed in between the pages. Michael leaned over to take a closer look at it, but before being able to, the unknown girl closed it, removing it away from his sight.

"Dinner’s ready" she said trying to mask, and failing, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

They ate in silence observing each other and trying not to get caught. Truth be told, the girl had been in isolation for a long time and for months she hadn't had another human being to share a meal with.

Michael, on the other hand, was confused by her kindness.

"So ..." she started at one point, as if to prove to herself that she was still able to have a normal conversation with another human being "what about the woods? How did you end up there?"

"I was trying to talk to my father," Michael replied without looking up from his plate.

“Did it work?" She leaned towards him.

He exhaled shaking his head and looking at her with resigned eyes "No".

A small part of her was curious why a boy was trying to contact his father in the middle of nowhere; maybe he was looking for a signal while drunk and passed out. They began to eat again, the silence lasted shortly before Michael spoke.

"How come you’re helping me?"

She seemed taken aback by the question “If you mean why I drag your almost-lifeless body all the way here, well it just seemed inhuman to leave you there to die, alone moreover” – Michael instinctively thought of Mrs. Mead – "anyway " she sighed “you seem alive and quite strong and I'm not a kidnapper, so as soon as you want you can go back home, I can give you a ride there or to the nearest town" smiled starting to eat again.

"I don't have a home" He said after a few seconds "I have nowhere to go".

At that point, the stranger looked up and examined the young man sitting in front of her; a boy who had fallen into the clothes of her robust father, with deep blue eyes and golden hair. He should have been a dazzling beauty, yet his appearance was dull, like a flower picked too early and left to wither.

"My father abandoned me" He said resignedly, keeping his eyes fixed on the plate "my mother tried to kill me" he smiled bitterly "and the only person who ever showed me love was killed. I have no one” he concluded.

Something inside her, pity perhaps, pushed her to help this weird boy.

"You can stay here" the bold proposal came out a little too fast and she immediately regretted that "if you want, that is" she shrugged.

"Why are you so kind?"

"Because I recognize a lost soul when I see one and everyone is entitled to a second chance" That too, came out more direct that she had imagined.


	4. Part 1. 3

Since they were going to live under the same roof, the strange girl eventually told him her name: Ellen Moore - and when Michael heard it, no bell rang, which is why he didn't understand the reason behind her secretiveness.

He had accepted the offer to stay there until he figured out what to do with his life, not that he had a better option at the time.

Most of the time Michael watched the strange girl. He couldn't get rid of the idea that there was something strange about her. Moreover, with no idea of whose side she was on, if his father’s or the witches’ – or if she was on anyone’s side at all – he didn't know if the girl could be trusted.

For her part, Ellen also had some reservations: she didn't know where he came from, what kind of person Michael was and being alone with a boy she hardly knew, in a house lost in the woods, was not exactly the best of conditions. Yet she had decided to take a leap of faith and believe in him. And if he strangled her in her sleep, she would have died of her own stupidity.

During the first two days Michael, watched her tending a small vegetable garden in the back of the house, strangely luxuriant.

 _Too much even_ he thought, for the season and the environment there. However, when he’d tried to ask her for an explanation, Ellen had only given him a botanical book, telling him that if he wanted to help, there was all the information he needed – and in truth, Michael could not find evidence that incriminated her as a witch, which was his first guess.

After dedicating herself to the garden, Ellen used to walk around the perimeter with the dog Lotus, which Michael learned to be a hunting dog, who enjoyed chasing small animals or finding their burrows, while Ellen collected flowers to decorate the house.

In the afternoon she occupied time reading or locking herself up in her bedroom, doing who knows what. Michael had tried to draw nearer, but the dog started growling as soon as he heard the boy’s footsteps on the stairs.

Finally, towards sunset, she sat out on the porch with that little notebook of hers to write, but Michael noticed almost immediately that the words Ellen wrote were sporadic – one, maybe two words were written in a whole hour and he couldn’t get close enough to read them.

On the third day, Michael took advantage of her absence to enter the bedroom undisturbed; apart from a terrible mess he found nothing strange. He didn’t find the notebook, not that it would have been easy to locate it in all that chaos, but he saw a bulletin board hanging on a desk, with many photos of Ellen – with her parents in front of a large luxurious house, with friends, sometimes in disguise, sometimes in elegant clothes, with a boy. In every photo she gave off the same light. The girl in the photos looked like a comet, of which the one down in the garden was only the tail.

"How do you live here?" Michael asked at a certain point while they were reading – one squatting on the armchair and the other lying on the sofa. “Don't you get bored, in the void, without a purpose?”

"I like it here, it's quiet," Ellen shrugged without looking up.

"Don't you miss your friends, your family?"

She looked up from the book "How do you know I have any?"

Michael did not answer.

"You'll have to do better than that if you don't want to get caught. Moreover, you closed the bedroom door on your way out, I had left it ajar" Ellen underlined, returning her eyes to the book.

Again, Michael didn’t say anything.

"I hear them often," She spoke a few moments later, "and I don't intend to stay here forever, I’ll leave as soon as I feel better" said returning her eyes to the book.

Michael frowned "Are you sick?"

Strangely, the girl laughed, albeit bitterly "Yes, you could say so" and the conversation ended.

%%%%

There was a study upstairs, in the room next to where Ellen slept. It was small, with only a computer on a desk, a bookcase and a cabinet with a record player.

Michael reached the laptop and noticed that, in addition to being already turned on, it did not require a password – which made sense since until a few days before no one lived with Ellen. He opened the PC and the first thing he saw was again the image of her with the same boy in the previous photos, then he noticed that the computer had internet connection.

_So she is not totally isolated._

He looked through the search history, with not much surprise Ellen had googled his name and, with even less surprise, all that had come out was a handful of homonyms on facebook and dear Tate Langdon’s school-shooting. At that point it seemed just fair to look for the name Ellen Moore. What first came out was the Moore industry, a sort of multinational that dealed with high-speed trains and an article:

«Fatal accident on seventh street. Dead Robert Moore's daughter Ellen and boyfriend Hector Foster» The date of the article was five months earlier.

Michael leaned back in his chair and opening the link he found the smiling face of Ellen and that of the young Hector.

A slight smile pursed his lips, _that's_ what was strange about that girl: Ellen Moore was dead.

She must have been brought back to life somehow. Perhaps, since her parents were wealthy, they had paid for a witch powerful enough to perform the vitalium vitalis on her. Maybe even Cordelia Goode herself, who was striving so hard to integrate witches and humans, and what better way to achieve that than to buy the favor of an American tycoon?

Michael left the studio without bothering to put anything back in place; excited as if he had just discovered the moon, he ran down the stairs to find her in the kitchen giving the dog his meal.

"So that’s why you locked yourself in here. It’s not about inner peace, harmony, or tranquility".

Ellen looked at him confused.

"You- You're dead".

The girl raised an eyebrow putting a hand on her hip "Excuse me?"

"You're dead and – and the witches brought you back to life, you're on their side" That last part seemed almost an accusation.

"Oh boy" she sighed, running a hand over her face "I have no idea what you're talking about but technically yes, I’ve died... for a few seconds".

The boy really did not look well so she approached him, placed her hands gently on his shoulders and made him sit on a chair.

"If you want to know something, just ask. I promise to answer sincerely" She sat next to him.

Michael had the terrible feeling that he was doing an interview where even though she was the one answering the questions, he was the one under inquisition.

"How did you come back to life?"

"I had a car accident, lost a lot of blood, and had to undergo an emergency operation. During that I had a cardiac arrest. It lasted no more than a few seconds, I think, but for that time I was clinically dead." Michael remained silent, he seemed dissatisfied with the answer, but Ellen didn't care.

“The information spread reaching some journalists and few pointed out that it was only for a short time; you know, good titles sell better. When I woke up” she continued reaching for a cigarette and lighting it up “I found out not only that my boyfriend, who was driving, had died” she began to speak with difficulty as tears clouded her vision.

Ellen took a long drag from her cigarette trying to calm down, before speaking again after a few seconds.

“Yesterday you asked me how I can survive here, alone, without a purpose. Well, Michael Langdon" At that point tears were rolling down her face “I think your problem is you believe everyone has a destiny, but there’s no such thing. Sometimes life is just life, and sometimes it has no relevant meaning"

She breathed before standing up and rushing to her bedroom, leaving Michael to his own thoughts.

%%%%

It was long past lunchtime when Michael realized she was not coming out of her room.

The tiniest bit of his heart felt sorry: it was not his intention making her cry. Fighting her, maybe. Killing her, even. But making her cry was not on the list. Michael had to accept the fact that she was just a helpless, kind and hurt human being. Who he had somehow hurt more.

He could sense the injustice of that. Not only had Ellen saved his life but also given him a roof and enough food to not starve, even though she was a terrible cook. Almost like Mrs Mead had done. Of course, she had been more of a motherly figure, but maybe Ellen could be his friend. He had had allies before, but friendship was a new concept.

Once he had gathered enough courage, Michael knocked on the door.

“Ellen” he cleared his throat “are you alright?”

She didn’t answer.

Michael sighed leaning against the door and sliding to the ground.

He took a deep breath before letting the words flow freely “My grandmother took her own life because she couldn't stand me. She believed I was a monster. In truth, I was nothing but a child. Sometimes I behaved badly but I didn't do it on purpose, I thought I was making her happy” he scratched the back of his head "I really suck at this".

"You're doing fine" A shy voice replied from behind the door.

Michael rested his forehead on his bent knee. “Mrs Mead found me; she was a good person. She loved me, did not judge me and sent me to a school where I could develop my skills. She died because of that. Together with the people of the school who believed in me”.

"Why?"

“They feared me, like everyone else. They didn't want to accept change” He shrugged.

"That’s unfair"

"That's why I swore to kill them all."

Ellen didn't reply right away; she could understand his anger. It was also what she had felt after Hector’s death "What were you doing in the woods?"

“I was expecting a sign,” he sighed, “but apparently, I was left to die. He too has abandoned me”.

“That’s the same reason I decided to come here”

Michael turned towards the door almost as expecting to see her “What do you mean?”

“I was born with a silver spoon, always spoiled, loved. Believing I could always win every argument, of being somewhat untouchable” Ellen laughed bitterly at her own foolishness “I also had lots of friends… that until everything blew up in my face. After the accident I did nothing but crying for days, and those who I thought were my friends disappeared – I think they were more of Hector’s friends then mine.”

“Why keeping all those photos hanging then?”

“I’m… really not sure” This time she chuckled.

Michael had to admit that it was a pretty sounded.

“Michael…” Ellen called one last time.

“Mh?”

“Thanks for talking with me.”

Michael felt too awkward to reply.


	5. Part 1. 4

From that day on, tempers calmed down and Ellen had to face the fact that sharing the house with someone else was more pleasant than she liked to admit.

**Wednesday**

Ellen tried to satisfy that curiosity by explaining how the small vegetable garden at the back of the house worked.

"All the plants here can be pounded to make small infusions or teas" She walked between the two rows of plants "on one side there are those of which leaves are used, on the other, the ones which hold flavor in their flowers or seeds"

Michael walked beside her with his hands folded behind his back "Why don’t just buying blends instead of doing all this hard work?"

Ellen passed a hand over the flowers. "Well, I find it very rewarding to taste the fruits of your own harvest, it gives everything a more pleasant flavor" she shrugged.

"It seems like a waste of time to me"

The girl shrugged changing the subject "This is my favorite" she said stroking the white petals. "Chamomile. Very sweet".

"What is this?" Michael bent down taking a leaf between his fingers and savoring its pungent smell.

"Bay tree" Ellen joined her hands in front of her "according to legend, the nymph Daphne was transformed into a bay tree to escape Apollo. However, this did not stop his love for her and Apollo took the plant under his protection, proclaiming it sacred."

"I like it".

She smiled as if satisfied.

**Thursday**

"I put sugar in it, don't know if it's good though"

A teacup appeared before her eyes as she sat out on the porch.

Ellen hesitantly grabbed it from Michael who seemed too embarrassed to watch her reaction. She tasted the overly sweet chamomile tea, but it didn't matter, because it was the first time Michael had done anything for her.

Maybe there was a kind heart behind that grumpy face - and that was exactly the kind of person Ellen wanted to surround herself with.

"That's great, thanks" she said with a faint smile.

Michael nodded and went back into the house.

**Friday**

To do something different, Ellen invited Michael to watch something on the old television that was in the sitting room near the kitchen. With very little democracy Ellen chose "The princess bride", an old movie she always watched with her friends when she was having a sleepover.

"There are fights, and love, and magic and the fact that you've never seen it is absurd" She sat down on the sofa next to Michael, with legs crossed "it's the best film ever. Are you sure you've never seen it? "

Michael shook his head.

"Your ignorance in pop culture is disarming".

Michael didn't answer. Although the plot didn’t convince him, Michael had to admit that seeing Ellen’s expressions, how her eyes would light up when the hero passed the tests and her cheeks would turn pink with every mushy scene was…. funny. He did not understand how such an insignificant thing could cause so much joy. But he was struck by how her emotions were contagious, how she was contagious. And Michael couldn't stop thinking that there was something abnormal about her, not necessarily negative, just ... strange.

Ellen felt his gaze on her more than once but ignored it.

Halfway through the movie Michael got up to get a glass of water and casually Ellen asked

"Could you bring me one too?"

He turned towards her and, catching her by surprise. grabbed her hand, brought it to his lips and staring his very clear eyes into hers he murmured "As you wish" on her knuckles before pressing his lips to them, imitating the protagonist of the movie.

Ellen blushed and watched him walk away, too embarrassed to answer or form any coherent thought.

  
**Saturday**

“Star gazing. That’s your thing? Seriously? " Michael walked in her direction.

Ellen laid on a thick blanket, hands behind her head and eyes towards the sky, while Lotus rested at her feet.

"There should be a meteor shower tonight, it's my best chance to have a wish granted".

He crossed his arms looking at her from above, without replying.

Ellen tapped the blanket next to her.

"No."

"Please ... for me?" She pouted.

Michael rolled his eyes but did as she asked. He laid down next to her and put his hands on his chest.

“What will you wish for?” He asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Knowledge"

Michael raised an eyebrow "What do you mean?"

"What I said. There are so many questions I would like to find an answer to but I'm afraid no one has it" She looked up at him “You?”

"Revenge ... A sign maybe ..." It sounded more like a question than anything else. Michael snorted "I don't know ..."

Ellen did not answer.

"So ... what do we do in the meantime?"

"Mh…. Think about our place in the universe?"

A couple of minutes went by without anyone saying anything, just enjoying each other's company.

"Ellen ..."

She turned to look at Michael noticing the closeness between the faces but not giving it weight.

"Do you think I'm a monster?" He asked without taking his eyes from the sky.

Ellen frowned. Ever since they met, she had noticed how the boy felt alone, consumed by a mixture of anger and guilt, feelings she knew all too well. Of course, he had told her how his life had been complex but to the point of calling himself "a monster", Ellen did not expect that.

"How come you say that?" She looked up again.

"Many people believe so"

"Do you think you are?"

"I don't think I knew, if I were one"

Ellen shook her head. “No, I don’t think you are. Maybe the people who told you that were angry” she speculated.

“People can be horrible when angry, or sad” Added.

Michael seemed to gather his thoughts for a moment.

"You are not" He turned to look at her "you are a good person, Ellen".

She imitated him staring into his blue eyes that seemed to glow despite the dark.

"You're a good person too, Michael Langdon" She said with a faint smile.

They remained like that, looking at one another, observing each other's faces, eyes, lips, for a few more moments, before returning their gaze to the sky.

A.N. Hope you enjoyed this last chapter before sh*t actually goes down!

Also, cAn yOu FeEL tHe LoVE toNigHT--


	6. Part 1. 5 - The Secret

**Attention!** This chapter contains violence, blood, and a bunch of stuff which may be upsetting for some readers.

Enjoy!

* * *

>   
>  Got a secret, can you keep it?  
>  Swear this one you'll save  
>  Better lock it in your pocket  
>  Taking this one to the grave  
>  If I show you then I know you won't tell what I said  
>  'Cause two can keep a secret if one of them is dead
> 
> \- The Pierces, _Secret._

The next day Ellen woke up in her bed, she didn't remember getting there and quickly concluded that it must have been Michael who brought her in her bedroom. Once gathered the courage to get up, Ellen went downstairs, finding Michael intent on preparing breakfast.

_This, I can get used to._

While they ate some scorched pancakes, Ellen asked Michael to accompany her to do some shopping; he accepted with a smile and an hour later they were in hs pickup headed for the nearby town.

"The place looks nice, if you wanted a change of scenery why didn't you come here?" Michael asked when they stopped the car in the supermarket parking lot.

"Too many people" Ellen replied closing the door behind her “plus there seems to be a church full of Satanists here and honestly, these things give me the chills."

As they entered the shop, the girl took a basket to fill and made Michael a list of everything they needed to buy before splitting up.

Ellen went into the women's aisle looking for the products that were right for her, which were obviously on the top shelf. She looked around: there was nobody.

Apparently, Ellen had forgotten that there was a reason she hadn't passed the cheerleader audition. Although Kathy Bell, the head cheerleader, was one of Ellen’s friends, she had to be brutal while explaining, very clearly, that coordination was necessary to learn a choreography and, that quite frankly, Ellen had none.

Ellen climbed onto the shelves to get the pack of pads, and almost succeeded, before losing her balance and falling to the ground with a huge thud.

"Are you okay Miss? Are you hurt? " One of the clerks rushed to her side.

It took a moment for Ellen to be able to focus on him.

"Only my pride is" She replied, snorting and trying to get up.

The boy, perhaps a little older than her and with dark hair, helped Ellen to stand by offering her a hand which she accepted with gratitude.

"What happens here?" Michael appeared behind her making her jump - how was he always so silent?

“I did a stupid thing. My butt has paid the consequences, but no damage” Ellen chuckled “this gentleman kindly helped me get up”.

Michael grabbed her free hand pulling her towards him.

“Well, if there's nothing else I think you can go" he said to the other boy.

The clerk, however, did not move, he was rather gaping from Michael to Ellen to their joined hands.

"I said, you may leave now"

Michael repeated and at the exact moment he uttered those words, the lights flickered visibly and something, Ellen did not know what, scared the boy who ran away down the corridor, back where he had come from.

"What did you do to him?" Ellen raised an eyebrow at the blonde.

"Nothing" He shrugged "Come, let's go pay so we can leave this shithole"

And without waiting for an answer, Michael pulled her away.

%%%%

The next two days went by quietly with the only difference being Michael becoming more and more clingy, but Ellen blamed it on the fact that they were alone and were slowly becoming close.

On the afternoon of the third day Ellen was ravenously hungry. But her hunger couldn’t be satisfied by any food. Ellen craved some chocolate chip cookies. She opened the pantry and reached out for her favorite package.

She frowned - it was light.

She opened it and looked inside. Empty. Obviously. The other day she had seen Michael munch on some of them; evidently from _some_ to _all_ of them the step had been short.

Ellen sighed.

"Michael!" She shouted, taking the package and running out.

Michael was lying on the bench, reading with one arm supporting his head. Indifferently he looked up at Ellen who stood in front of him waving the empty package.

"Yes?"

"You ate all my cookies" She accused.

Michael sat down and closed the book.

"That was not me".

"Really?" Ellen raised an eyebrow "Because you were the last to eat them and Lotus certainly would not have put the empty package back in the cabinet" She crossed her arms.

“Ok, I ate them, so what? You can buy them back.” Michael shrugged as he reopened the book.

Ellen narrowed her eyes, reached out and snatched the book from his hands.

“They weren't just _cookies_ , they were my _period_ -cookies. And I want them. Now. "

Michael gave her a confused look.

"So now you’re going downtown to buy them" Ellen asserted, walking back into the house and taking her car keys, wallet and a leash.

"You are smart and big enough to be able to drive," she told him throwing the keys that Michael caught midair.

"And what is that for?" He pointed to the leash.

"You’re taking Lotus" The dog looked up from the floor, gazing the two "that’ll teach you what responsibility means" Ellen smirked.

%%%%

About an hour later, while lying on the sofa checking her email, Ellen heard the door open.

"I hope for you that my pickup is safe and sound" She feigned indifference.

But there was no answer.

Something was wrong.

She could not hear the dog's pawing. On the other hand, she heard footsteps. Too many footsteps.

She looked up towards the entrance.

Four figures covered by a red hood stood in the doorway.

Ellen sprung to her feet. "And who the fuck are you? Get out of my house".

“Ellen Moore” The figure in the center raised her face; she was a woman with auburn hair “For your crimes against our unholy church we sentence you to death. May your sacrifice please our Lord Satan”.

The girl noticed that all four wore large, heavy pentagrams hanging around their necks.

_Shit_.

"Seize her".

Ellen was cornered. There was only one exit and they were in the way.

They approached grabbing her.

Ellen tried to resist but couldn't get them off her; but still, it is not that she was particularly strong, nor had she ever got in a fistfight before. And even if she had, three against one was not what one would call an even match.

They dragged her to the kitchen.

“What the hell are you doing? Put me down!”

The woman who had spoken earlier threw everything off the kitchen table and the three holding Ellen forced her on it.

“Let me go!” She struggled uselessly.

Two women pinned her arms, while a man held her ankles still.

The auburn woman slipped a hand into the sleeve of her tunic and pulled out a dagger

“Oh Satan, accept this sacrifice we offer you; so that your son sent to us on earth may rise and finally bring the end of time”.

"The apocalypse is near!" One of the women who held her arm cried enthusiastically; she looked like a fucking heroin addict.

"Nema" Said the woman with the dagger, and the others repeated the word in chorus.

Ellen couldn't think, it was all happening too fast. They were going to kill her, she was sure of that. She wanted to laugh, she would have died like that, alone and by the hands of some fucking fanatics.

A small tear, or maybe more than one, fell down her cheeks. Ellen really didn't want to die. Maybe Michael was right: her life was insignificant, dull and empty, but she didn't want it to end. She wanted to be with her family and all those who loved her again.

"What's going on here?" She heard Michael's voice and Lotus’ barking.

"My Lord" The woman bowed and the others followed suit "we have waited a long time for your return"

_What the hell..._

"Let her go"

The three underlings glanced at each other, but no one moved.

"I said, let her go," he repeated.

Ellen saw the kitchen lights flicker, as it had happened a few days earlier at the grocery store.

The hold on her tightened.

“But my Lord; how can you carry out your destiny if you are tied to this world? We must cut these bonds, so that you can rise." With each word the voice of the woman with the dagger grew.

"If my father didn’t reveal his plans to me, what makes you think he would do it to insects like you?" He almost laughed. Those people were idiots.

“What other purpose could there be? We have been waiting for you for a long time, we have spent _years_ preparing the world for your coming, so that you can carry out your plan and bring about the end times” The auburn woman raised her hands and kept repeating.

"Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?"

Michael rolled his eyes and a second later, the woman's head exploded, covering the kitchen and Ellen in blood and remains. She wanted to scream but her voice seemed to miss. She was petrified.

The woman's headless body fell to the ground with a dull thud.

There was a second where everything remained motionless, then the man holding her legs released her and tried to run to the door, giving a shoulder push to Michael.

His head exploded before he could cross the threshold.

The woman to Ellen's left fell to the ground, begging for mercy. Ellen finally managed to get up enough to see Michael. He was terribly different, seeming no longer innocent or fragile. For a moment, Ellen was afraid of him.

Before she could say anything, the exalted woman on her right pulled her by the hair and turned Ellen's face towards her, pressing a knife against her throat, so that the girl would’ve seen her face as last thing before dying.

"HAIL SATAN" The crazy woman shouted pressing the blade against her skin and cutting.

A beam of light shot out of the wound and hit the woman full in the face.

Michael turned his head and closed his eyes as light flooded the room.

It seemed like an infinity of time but in reality, it only lasted a few seconds. Ellen brought her free hand to her neck covering the wound and the light grew dim, before disappearing.

The woman's ashen skull fell to the table a short distance from Ellen's face, She moved away, her hand still pressed to her neck.

She looked up to meet Michael's eyes. They stared at each other, one more shocked than the other.

"What are you?" Ellen asked.

"That should be my line"

Ellen swallowed but didn't answer. She lowered her hand and examined it: it was covered with inexplicably already dried blood.

She stood up and opened a hidden drawer in the table. She pulled out a gun and walked over to the woman who was still bowing to the ground, trampling blood and human remains. She reached down and rested the tip of the gun under the black-haired woman's chin, lifting it up.

"Please. Please let me go” The woman began to cry looking at Ellen.

"I'm sorry, but I can't take the risk of anyone knowing what happened" She said in a hoarse voice.

"I swear, I will not tell anyone" The other sobbed again.

Ellen ignored her. She stood up, placed the cold metal of the pistol on her forehead and with a single shot, straight between the temples, Ellen put an end to her prayers.

* * *

A.N. Now, all together, let's say bye to soft!Michael and hello to my favourite bad b*tch.

This chapter ends PART 1 of the story. From next week onwards things will get darker, scarier and so on. It's American _Horror_ Story after all. 

K.R.


	7. Part 2.1 - The Sinner

> Holy hands,
> 
> will they make me a sinner?
> 
> -Bishop Briggs, River

"I fucking hate violence." Ellen lit a cigarette as she, Michael and Lotus watched the house burn.

“Come on, there's no point in staying here" Ellen threw her bag into the pickup before boarding, followed closely by the boys ready to leave.

“Where are we going?” Michael got in the passenger’s seat.

Ellen sighed closing her eyes.

“I think we have no choice but to go to my parent’s house. But we can’t stay for long”.

“Why?” Michel frowned.

She gave him a bitter smile.

“Because I don’t want to”.

%%%%

"So ..." Michael began after a few minutes of silence "what happened in there?"

"A lot of things have happened in there, are you referring to your mad followers trying to kill me or the fact that you blew the heads of a couple of them?" Ellen splattered rubbing a spot in the middle of her forehead.

"You know what I mean" Michael snorted crossing his arms "what was that light? Because you didn't seem so surprised when it happened "

"And what do I know?" She looked annoyed. “Look, I don't know what that was. The only time something similar happened I had cut myself with paper and a very thin ray of light came out. That's why I left, there were so many strange things happening and I needed time to try to understand what the problem was, or at least to learn how to keep it under control" Her grip tightened around the wheel.

"And didn't you think it might be information that was worth sharing?"

"Are we really discussing me? " Ellen moved a hand in the direction of the house behind them "You rather, the Antichrist? Really?"

“It’s not like I choose to” Michael shrugged as offended.

“I knew there was something strange about you” She moved a hand in front of his face as to indicate his whole being “you were too… perfect to be normal”

“Are you serious?” Michael exploded “Are we really discussing _normality?_ Cause that light didn’t seem _normal_ at all”

Ellen stopped the car - luckily the street was empty.

“Don't. Do not even try. You and I are not the same. Not even remotely. My father is not the devil and I have none of those supernatural powers of yours. Our positions are totally different. And, I'm not a killer. " Ellen voice grew lower as she turned to look at Michael.

"She said, after killing a woman in cold blood" He mocked.

"I had to do it, there was no choice". Ellen’s eyes went back to the street.

“Hey I'm not complaining, from my perspective it seemed rather hot” Michael smiled.

"Oh God" Ellen ran a hand across her face. That was wrong, on so many levels.

%%%%

Michael drove during the night allowing Ellen to get a few hours of sleep, and the next morning she stared at herself in the mirror of another gas station. After throwing up everything she had eaten the day before and spending at least ten hours in the car, Ellen looked awful.

Michael always looked fresh as a rose, how the heck did he?

Ah, right. Supernatural thing.

She scratched a small spot in the middle of his forehead. There was something, it looked like a small crust, which was absurd since every time she cut her skin, that strange light usually came out. It was so itchy so she tried scratch it away.

If her mom had been there, she would have told Ellen not to touch it. And she would have been right.

Ellen managed to lift a small flap of that awful thing. Slowly she tried to lift the rest as well. Under it, she found a gelatinous, mucous substance that came out directly from her skin. Ellen stifled a retch.

She pulled away again and when it was finished, she dared not touch the slobbering spot in the middle of her forehead. She bent down to rinse her hands.

The lights flickered as they had done before in the supermarket and at her home. Ellen looked up at the mirror.

And the figure stared at her with those glassy eyes.

Ellen wanted to scream but she was petrified.

The figure’s mouth was black, some substance that seemed saliva dripping out of it.

Ellen began to sweat.

Black was also the blood that came out of the hole in the middle of her forehead, in the same place where Ellen had scratched before; the same spot where her bullet had hit the Satanist the night before.

Ellen closed her eyes.

It wasn't real, it couldn't be.

She opened them again. Staring at her Ellen only found her reflection.

For a moment she could only hear her own breathing and heartbeat. Ellen swallowed before grabbing her bag and bolting out the bathroom.

A.N. Thanks for reading!

I'm really sorry for the late and short chapter, hopefully I'll be able to update moore during weekend (And afterwards to update once a week again!). Stay tuned!


	8. Part 2.2 - Restless

> Now you're wired then you're tired  
> There is never a break  
> You only come alive at the thrill of the chase  
> No, we can't help it  
> We're always restless
> 
> \- Cold War Kids, Restless

Jennifer and Robert Moore had met at a party, as is often the case. Their love story had not been particularly troubled or exciting. They met, started dating and fell in love. Simple. Clear. Like all things had to be.

Mr. Moore was a man with more mustache than hair now, a soft proud belly and tons of money. His family had been one of the first to supply trains for the Louisiana railways and he had inherited the business from his father, who had inherited from his grandfather and so on.

Ms. Moore was a skinny woman, with blonde hair in an alternative 1960s cut – she had yet to be born in the 60s, but that didn’t matter. According to anyone who had ever met her, she was a sweet, God-fearing woman - even if she occasionally allowed herself a few small sins. Like treats, her husband's money and, in her youth, the law professor. But that had only happened a couple of times a long time ago and it didn't matter.

They both loved their daughter more than anything in the world and although Robert had spoiled her from an early age, Jennifer was actually of humble origins and had taught her daughter the virtue of moderation. Or at least she had tried. Both her husband she had had raised Ellen by the motto: everything you do, comes back to you three times. If you are nice people will be nice to you, if you are not, don't expect others to be. All in all, under the small dose of falsehood needed to survive in the urban elite, the Moores were good people. And despite the years, they were still in love.

"Ellen called," Jennifer informed as she entered her husband's study. After knocking, of course, no one entered the studio without permission – _As if he was the president_ , Jennifer snorted sometimes.

Robert looked up from the papers he was examining, moving his attention to his wife.

"She’s on her way home, they should be here in a couple of hours"

"Why is she coming back?" Robert leaned back in the desk chair.

Jennifer shrugged, shaking her head: her daughter hadn't said that.

"Well anyway it was time," he returned his eyes to the desk "Hector was a good guy, you know I've always approved, but Ellen is too young to be a mourning widow for life."

"Speaking of which" Jennifer bit her lip "it seems there is someone else besides her and Lotus"

Robert frowned “No. Please, don't tell me it's a- "

“A _friend_ ,” She interrupted him, “Ellen didn't say anything else. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to have a room prepared for our guest” Jennifer said leaving.

"Wait, what does a room mean?" He looked confused “Jennifer..? JENNIFER?! " he yelled, but the door had closed and his wife was already on her way.

%%%%%

They would arrive in the afternoon. Mr. Moore couldn't help but glance trying to catch a glimpse of something between the curtains.

“You know, curiosity killed the cat” Mrs Moore crossed her arms.

“Shut up woman” Robert barked “I don't like this situation. At all. Who is this guy? "

"I do not know"

"Where does he come from?"

"I do not know"

"Hell woman, is there something you know?" He turned to her before moving his eyes back to the window.

Ellen stopped the car and turned to Michael "Ok, just one rule: don't say or do anything compromising"

"Compromising how?" He raised an eyebrow

"Like talking about what happened, about a sect of crazy people who want to kill me, about the light and absolutely no word of the fact that you are the Antichrist. Clear?"

Michael nodded. "So, what are we doing here?”

“Well, a shower, for starters. We are leaving Lotus here and taking time to figure out… you know… ” Ellen moved her hands swirling, as if to indicate all this mess.

They stared at each other for a moment. Michael opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something but behind Ellen he saw the door of the mansion open. She followed the thread of his gaze and saw her parents appear at the threshold.

"Ok, let's do it." Ellen took a deep breath before opening the door and showing off a big, bright, fake smile.

She opened the tailgate and the dog ran out towards the entrance of the house. Michael grabbed her bag before walking to her side and taking her hand in his. Ellen glanced at him but, as Michael had predicted, did nothing to not make a scene. Jennifer moved aside letting the dog enter the house and run directly towards Robert.

"Sweetheart!" Jennifer screamed running towards her daughter and holding her in a big hug. Ellen tried to reciprocate but with Michael not letting go of her hand it was somewhat difficult.

"Mom, I can't breathe." She patted her arm asking to let her go.

Jennifer broke away to address the boy next to her.

"And you must be her er" she noticed the clasped hands " _friend_."

"Michael Langdon" The boy reached out his free hand and showed off one of his bewitching smiles.

"Oh," Mrs. Moore reached out "it's ... a pleasure ..." she was already lost in Michael's blue eyes.

Ellen rolled her eyes

"Mom, why don't you lead the way?"

“Certainly” Jennifer seemed to wake up from a trance “You will be tired” She turned moving towards the house.

"Ok, new rule” Ellen whispered to Michael as her mom started a monologue about dinner “no flirting with my mom".

He grinned.

“Why? You are jealous?" Michael purred against her hear.

“No Michael” Ellen rolled her eyes “It's just that you and I are friends and that would be extremely strange, as well as disgusting”

"Of course."

And in that moment Ellen realized that, once again, she had made a terrible decision.

%%%%

Dinner was one of the most embarrassing events of her life, after the fourth grade play in which Charlotte Jones tripped her and knocked her onto the stage in front of everyone.

"So, tell us a little bit about you, Michael" Jennifer began halfway through the first course "Where do you come from?"

"I grew up in Los Angeles with my grandmother, then she died and Mrs. Mead took care of me" He replied after clearing his throat "she was the most loving mother a child could ever want".

"She looks like a lovely woman." Jennifer smiled "Doesn't she look adorable, Bob?"

Mr Moore chewed aggressively on a piece of carrot.

"Where is she now?" The woman turned back to the young man.

"Dead. She was killed.”

A moment of embarrassed silence followed, in which Ellen had a hard time restraining from facepalming herself.

"Oh, poor dear. It must have been awful for you." Jennifer frowned and Michael had to admit that the resemblance to Ellen was shocking. In addition to similar colors, the women had the exact same facial expressions and almost the same _brightness_ that Ellen had.

“Yes, I didn't really know what to do back then. But luckily Ellen found me and here we are” Michael shrugged.

Ellen could feel his gaze on her but preferred to keep her eyes fixed on the plate.

“Our little Ellen who even in the worst moments thinks about helping others. Don't you think that's a very sweet story Bob?”

Mr Moore bit into a piece of bread even more vehemently.

“Anyway, I'm glad you came home Ellen. We missed you a lot” Mrs. Moore turned to her daughter, reaching out to caress her hand.

And only then did Robert speak "Your place is with us, your family."

Ellen almost choked on a piece of potato.

"Actually ... we are not staying long"

Both her parents froze.

"Since I’ve lost the year at University anyway, I was thinking of taking some sort of sabbatical" Ellen cleared her throat.

Jennifer and Robert exchanged a glance.

“I think it's a good idea,” He said after a moment “as long as you’ll start studying next year and you promise to get high grades. I have no intention of leaving the family business to a person who is unable to manage it" he mumbled.

Ellen let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

"Done." She smiled before starting to eat again.

%%%%%%

During the night Ellen tossed and turned in bed. All around her were the memories of a life that she hardly felt hers anymore. From every photo hanging on the walls, Hector's gaze seemed to be scanning her soul. Even when hiding under the covers, she could feel his gaze on her. Ellen could not stand that: feeling guilty not knowing why.

And then, there was the mirror. A huge mirror all along the wall in front of her bed. She dared not look up, terrified of finding the monster from that morning again.

Not to mention the group of exalted who had attacked her the day before. Someone must have already noticed their disappearance. Maybe the Satanists were already on their trail.

She had to talk to Michael. Perhaps she knew something.

Besides, she didn't want to stay in that room alone.

Trying not to look up at the mirror, Ellen left the room, crossed the corridor and came to the door of the guest room where Michael was resting. She knocked lightly on the door.

"Michael, can I come in?"

"Mh-mh" She heard from the other side.

She opened the door and quickly closed it behind her.

“Are you okay?” Michael opened a sleepy eye to look at her,

Ellen had to admit that with messy hair he looked even better - though perhaps the fact that he was sleeping without a shirt contributed to it.

"I ..." It started to get hot all of a sudden. Great. "You know what? Nothing, sorry for waking you up” She turned hastily to the door but before her hand could reach the knob, Michael grabbed it.

She turned to him with wide eyes: how had he gotten there in a second? _Ah right, the supernatural thing._

"You do not have to apologize. Come on.” Michael pulled her to the bed, before sitting down on it and gesturing to Ellen to do the same. "You've been looking weird since this morning, what's going on?"

Ellen sighed sitting next to him. She opened her mouth but closed it immediately; Ellen wanted to tell him everything but feared he would consider her crazy.

"I think I'm just a little ... nervous. Killing someone isn't really something I thought I'd ever do”.

Michael wasn't very good at comforting someone. Not that he had ever had to do this before.

"I think ... you get used to it after a while".

Ellen remembered who she was in front of. The Antichrist. Evil incarnate. She let go of his hand and moved away to lean on headrest of the bed, pulling her legs to her chest.

"Does it scare you?"

"Killing?"

"The fact that I am _evil incarnate_ " He came dangerously close placing his hands on the sides of her figure.

Even in the semi-darkness his eyes seemed to shine, and Ellen found herself again unable to escape them.

"It confuses me" She swallowed "there is still so much I don't know about you, but from what I’ve seen up to now, you are not like that."

"Maybe you haven't seen enough" Michael raised a corner of his lips with a hint of a smile

Ellen gently placed a hand against his chest, at heart level.

"Maybe you should show me more."

Michael passed his eyes from her to her hand.

"As you wish" He took it slowly placing a kiss on the knuckles "but right now you should sleep".

"Can I stay a little longer?"

In response Michael grabbed a blanket and covered her legs. He got on the other side of the bed, turned off the faint little lamp on the nightstand and they both settled under the covers.

"Michael," Ellen whispered a few minutes later, turning to face his back "Are you really supposed to end the world?”

"Honestly?" Michael turned to her "I haven't decided yet, but if you're referring to the immediate future, no. I have no idea of what I’m _supposed_ to do, but I have no plans for the near future. Except for breakfast, I’d love pancakes"

Ellen gave a little laugh that sounded as light to Michael as the tinkling of a bell. She put an arm under her head before talking again.

"Michael, I'm really scared"

"Of me?"

He looked hurt but Ellen shook her head and moved slightly closer to him.

“Of having stained my soul forever… and of those people, they seemed very determined. Do you think they are already looking for us? "

Michael shook his head.

“I don't know. But you don't have to worry.” He leaned close enough for Ellen to feel his irregular breathing on her skin. "somebody has already taken away the only person I'd ever loved; I will not let that happen again”.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, thanks for reading!  
> As you may see the story starts a bit slow, because I think real romance requires time, but I promise intresting developments will come soon enough (around chapter 6 of part one if I remember correctly). Hopefully I didn’t describe Michael as too much ooc, but by the end of the first part our boy should be back as we know him.  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, don’t forget to leave kudos and comments (constructive criticism is always appreciated).  
> K.R.


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